Quietism
by DaughterofDemeter123
Summary: It was the most magic she'd ever felt concentrated in one place, greater than her, or her brother, or any mystical cat she'd ever known. The cat twitched his whiskers and winked at her… An origin story for our favorite conjuring cat, narrated by Tantomile.
1. Chapter 1

Wind swept passed Tantomile's ears as she slowly made her way down a crooked alley. In the sky hang a silver half-moon, though she thought she remembered seeing it much fuller only recently. It didn't matter, she decided as she neared the end of the alley. It didn't matter that the wind shouldn't have been able to touch her, and it didn't matter that she didn't know where her brother was. All that mattered was the strange orb of light emanating from the back of the alley.

She came to a stop and stared, transfixed, as the light seemed to float up into the sky, and down again, pulsing and radiating with raw magic. It was the most magic she'd ever felt concentrated in one place, greater than her, or her brother, or any mystical cat she'd ever known. Possibly even greater than—

The light dimmed. Out of the darkness of the alley strode a small cat she'd never seen before, but oh was he _Jellicle_. The truest definition of a Jellicle, from his mysterious showman smile to his shiny black coat. The cat twitched his whiskers and winked at her. Then, he leaped high into the air and spun three times, and Tantomile could feel it, the incredible power that spilled out of his very being. And she _knew_.

* * *

Tantomile woke up to find a tail in her face. She sneezed, and rolled away from her still sleeping brother. He was snoring quietly, splayed out on his back with his limbs lying everywhere. She snorted; Coricopat had always been a messy sleeper. She could remember a time when once, as a kitten, he rolled right out of their family's den and into a puddle outside. He'd yowled loudly enough to wake up half of the tribe.

She circled him as quietly as she could, wondering about how to wake him up. The vision that had come to her in her dreams was already fading away in bits and pieces, but the meaning was still there, and it would be better to tell her brother now while it was still fresh.

Idly grooming her paw, she pondered for a moment longer before coming to a decision. Unceremoniously, she batted a nearby can off a ledge. It fell with an impressive clatter, and Coricopat was on his feet in an instant, back arched and tail frazzled. He stared at the can, and then stared at her, and stared back at the can, and back at her, and finally relaxed, embarrassedly scratching his ear.

_I thought the humans were back with one of those machines of theirs, _he whispered into her mind. _Bringing in more junk, or taking some of the old. What is it then, Tanto?_

_Something is going to happen, _she whispered back, and proceeded to relay the contents of her vision. Coricopat sat quietly for several minutes, a stunned look spreading across his face. He looked at her with wide eyes, bringing a paw to grip her shoulder.

"By the Everlasting Cat…" He said aloud, his breath sending hot air over her face. Obviously, he understood something she had not. Her brother had always been better at interpreting cryptic visions than she, just as how she was better at sensing the comings and goings of other cats.

_Tantomile,_ her brother's thoughts spiraled into her head, _It's happening. Just like mother said it would, the next great cat will soon arise. The strongest __magician of the century is coming soon, fate has revealed him to us!_

Throughout their kittenhood, the twins had been told time and time again that their tribe had always hosted the most powerful mystical cats in the world. That no matter how far away they started from, mystics always ended up crossing paths with the Jellicles sooner or later. Tantomile thought of her mother, Celetsa, who'd been a powerful mystic in her own right. She'd often mentioned, almost off-handedly, that it had been her purpose in life to give birth to them. "But mother, what is _our_ purpose?" Tantomile had asked her, for the thought had never crossed her mind that she and Coricopat might have different roles. She and her brother had always been two halves of one whole, moving and breathing and speaking together, hardly ever apart.

Their mother had only smiled at her with that secretive smile of hers, and quietly murmured that mystics of all kinds were drawn to the Jellicles. "One day, my dear, the next great magical cat will arise, and on that day, you will understand."

Tantomile forced herself back into the present. The sun was just barely making it's first appearance of the day, and her brother was pacing about their shared den like a tom possessed. She could feel his agitation crackling in the air like static, could hear his thoughts of failure. He was worrying that they wouldn't meet the great cat in time, that they would never find their destiny. They crept out of his head and through hers, like a small parade of constantly buzzing and very unwelcome flies.

She padded over to him and intercepted his nervous pacing, nuzzling his head and projecting soothing thoughts.

_Fate cannot be ruined. Destiny cannot be lost._ _We're going to meet that tom one day, and everything will be clearer to us then._

Coricopat calmed down, and rubbed a cheek against hers fondly in thanks. Tantomile yawned, and glanced up at the sun, which was now hanging much higher in the sky. Maybe there would be a nice sun patch outside for an early morning nap before they discussed the vision further. Wordlessly, she began to walk away, knowing that her brother was just a step behind her. She allowed herself a small smile. They were going to be just fine.

* * *

It was late afternoon when the peace and quiet of the junkyard was abruptly shattered by the sounds of squealing. Tantomile held back a groan; that sound could only mean one thing. Four of the older kittens, who'd just been playing unobtrusively in an old oven, were now falling all over themselves, giggling out greetings and compliments to an extremely furry tom as he strut into the yard.

The Rum Tum Tugger grinned, waggling his hips every now and then to elicit more excited squeals from his fan club. A curious cat indeed, if one does't understand the meaning of narcissism; she heard Coricopat snort from his perch above her. She stood up and stretched, circling her spot to try and make herself comfortable again. Tugger wasn't that much of a mystery, he just liked being contrary. His constant flirting let on a lot more about his real nature.

She glanced at him once more, and looked away only to snap back and stare at him. There was something… strange about Tugger today. An odd sort of air was hanging around him, clinging to his fur. Tantomile breathed in deeply, and reached out with her senses. She could feel the four kittens, bounding around and shining with youth, and she could feel Tugger, dripping with self-confidence, but there was an extra presence. It was faint, but potent, and when she looked deeper, what she felt nearly knocked her off her feet. Her brother jumped down and landed beside her, and they exchanged a look. Whatever it was, Coricopat had sensed it too. He nodded at her once, and Tantomile climbed down from the pile of junk she'd been reclining on.

Approaching Tugger was one of the few things that usually threw them for a loop. He was always difficult, as was his nature, and if one of them were to try and speak with them, he'd often turn tail and begin to chat up the other one. It was frustrating and obnoxious, but the twins weren't always able to make sense of the visions they saw, and Tugger was an excellent source of information. Out of necessity, they had to come up with special tactics just to get close enough to talk to him.

First, they would have to pay close attention to the company he was keeping. The corresponding twin would approach him, while the other stayed out of his line of sight. It usually worked… sometimes. It at least usually worked long enough to ask him a question, and no matter how cryptic his answer was, they would get the information they wanted. All it took was to quickly read his mind before his sauntered too far away, and there they had it.

Of course, they weren't able to use their strategy very often. He might start noticing, and refuse to talk to them, or his mind could even start building up a resistance to their powers, as sometimes happens with especially strong-willed cats.

With this in mind, Tantomile joined the growing gaggle of queens gathered around Tugger. He was telling some story about how he'd taken and hidden one of his human's keys, locking him out of the house when he tried to go in with a date. She grinned along with the others as he described in great detail the many shades of red the human had turned when Tugger had finally deigned to return the keys.

She remained there and listened, until most of the queens had left and even the kitten fan club were called away by their mothers for dinner. Finally, she wandered closer to him, and he acknowledged her with a smirk. This was her chance.

"There's something different about you today." She said softly, stretching and laying down near his perch. He raised an eyebrow, smirk still in place.

"Oh? Do tell, my dear mystical cat."

She would have to tread carefully. Tugger wasn't well known for his wisdom, but he could be incredibly perceptive; if he caught on how interested she really was, he'd be gone in a heartbeat. That was the best way to talk to the Rum Tum Tugger; layer upon layer of nonchalance.

"It's just an observation. Have you done anything fun lately?" She asked, carefully tuned in for his response. By all appearances she was practically falling asleep, though that was true for most Jellicles during the day. As a whole, they were very much a nocturnal tribe. Tugger eyed her for a moment, and grinned.

"Actually, I saw a magic show across town." The tom posed with a theatrical flourish. "Quite a talented little illusionist. His tricks could give you a run for your money."

"I wouldn't call what we do tricks." Tantomile said, perhaps a bit reproachfully.

The Maine coon chuckled. "Of course not."

He stood up and sauntered away, flicking his tail goodbye. As she watched him leave the junkyard, she felt her brother whisper in her mind, and along with it came an image he'd found in Tugger's memory. A little black kitten with a tuxedo patterned coat, sitting on a dumpster. Under his paw sat a deck of cards. But when she looked at his eyes, she could see that tiny telltale glimmer that marked all mystical cats.

_Is this the same one? _Coricopat whispered inquiringly as he crawled out from his hiding spot. _The tom you saw in that vision, Tanto?_

Tantomile thought back. The kitten seemed so different from the cat in her vision. He had the shaggy, scrawny look of one who's lived on the streets for a while, a stark contrast to his older, sleeker counterpart. It was hard to associate that cat on the tail end of his kittenhood, just on the cusp of adolescence, with the tom she'd seen in her vision. But that performer's smile was unmistakable, and the markings were exactly the same.

_Yes, _she whispered to her brother, confirming it even though she knew he already knew. _Yes, that's the tom. He's younger than he was._

The two of them began to make plans to find the kitten, plans to begin their role in life. Tantomile could barely focus over the strange sensation in her belly. Somehow she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that fate hadn't even gotten started with them yet.

* * *

_Somewhere across town, a little black tuxedo cat was curled around a deck of cards. He was very resolutely not thinking about that annoying __fluff ball who'd come to see his show that day. The one with the huge mane, who'd called him __squirt__ (as if he was so much older!). The cat was cold in spite of the warm summer air. He missed his mother. Without her, he felt alone, so, so, alone, and empty._ _Still, he didn't move from his spot under the dumpster._

_He didn't entirely understand why, but __something told him that it was the right place to be. So, he would keep on putting on a show. He would keep on performing, and one day, it would be better. One day…_

* * *

**So, that's the first chapter of Quietism, my take on the origin of Mistoffelees. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I'd really appreciate it if you left a review with any questions or concerns. Also, if I made some ****ridiculous typo, don't leave me in the dark. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

As it turns out, finding one cat in a huge city is harder than you might think. For Tantomile, who'd never been more than a block away from the junkyard in her life, it looked _impossible_. She closely followed her brother as he weaved through the crowd of humans, an unpleasant feeling creeping up in the back of her throat. A long time back, her brother had disappeared for a few weeks in a fit of teenaged rebellion. He'd returned soon enough, but watching him navigate the streets of London so easily only reminded her of the crushing loneliness she'd felt back then. If she never parted with her brother again it would still be too soon.

Coricopat paused and bunted his head on her shoulder. _Never again._

He knew. Of course he knew. Tantomile didn't respond; instead, she calmly waited for her brother to get moving again. She shouldn't have let the old memories get to her, not on today of all days. They had a mission, a date with destiny; it was no time for her wallow in unnecessary self-pity.

The two siblings continued on their trek, only pausing here and there to rest. The Rum Tum Tugger's 'directions' hadn't exactly been precise, so they relied heavily on instinct; following weak scents and faint, far off traces of magic. Barring the few occasions they had to deviate their course to avoid trouble (usually in the form of dogs), they were slowly and steadily tracking down the cat with the black coat.

With their powers and Coricopat's experience to guide them, the city didn't seem as daunting as it did when they first set out. None of the humans even paid them any mind. It took away a little bit of credence from the housecat horror stories they were told growing up— none of these dour, long faced people seemed like the type for excessive cooing or tutus. Well, she'd never had a human of her own, so she wasn't best judge on their behavior.

Tantomile froze. There it was, that slight, familiar buzz in the back of her head. She glanced at her brother, and saw a mirror image of her own expression. Slowly, the twin mystics sniffed the air, reaching out with their senses. They honed in on the source of magic in unison, focusing on a small alleyway between a restaurant and an office building. Tantomile started toward it, but stopped herself. Something was niggling at her, preventing her from going. She looked sharply at Coricopat. They locked eyes. The black kitten was in that alley, she was certain, but the time wasn't right for them to see him. Tantomile's jaw clenched, feeling tension rise in the air. How long were they supposed to wait?

Sometimes, she hated the premonitions. Why had they come all this way for nothing? No, she reminded herself, not for nothing. They never did anything for nothing. It was all in the service of the Everlasting Cat, it was the plan they were meant to follow. No matter how preposterous or draining, as long as they did what they were supposed to do, everything would inevit—

"Tantomile."

With one word, the frustration boiling in Tantomile's mind evaporated. She turned to her brother, who flicked his tail at the restaurant by the alley. Looking more closely, she could see a small fire escape on the second story, directly above the dumpster they'd pulled from Tugger's memory. A smile made it's way to her face. Everything inevitably works out in the end.

* * *

As it turned out, the restaurant had an outdoor dining area which contained an easily surmounted trellis up the side of the building. One doesn't spend all their time in a junkyard and not learn to climb, of course, and they got onto the roof without much fuss. The jump down to the fire escape was nothing to any cat worth their whiskers, and they cleared it unscathed. The real issue came when Tantomile heard the noises coming from down beneath them. The kitten was putting on a show.

For a long time, they just sat there and watched him. He twirled and swooped around his audience, whipping out cards with a dramatic flourish. They watched as he produced bouquets out of thin air, and as he pulled a coin out of the ear of an old queen, who applauded with the enthusiasm of a cat a fraction her age.

The two older mystics looked past all that. They ignored the obvious smoke and mirrors, instead observing the little black cat's mistakes. How he'd shuffled the deck the wrong way, only for the right card to appear at the top anyway. The flash of surprise on his face when his chain of colored handkerchiefs turned out much longer than he thought it was. The slight uncertainty in his voice as he divined facts about his few audience members, things as easy as a favorite meal or pastime.

Both of them same to the same conclusion, but neither voiced it. Neither of them wanted to. They stuck to the area for several days, watching his every performance, him not even noticing their presence every afternoon. The truth of the situation was almost unheard of to a Jellicle.

Unaware. This kitten, this mystic of untold potential was absolutely unaware of his own gift. At the end of his show, the tom would bow to his audience, which was at it's fullest only three cats strong. He jumped behind the dumpster, always hanging in the air just a touch longer than he should've been able to, which allowed him enough time to spin a few times before he disappeared from sight. Sometimes, for the briefest moment, she could see a glimmer about his fur, like stolen starlight. It was always gone just as fast.

It was almost amazing they'd been able to find him at all. The only real magic he ever used was produced in tiny, unconscious blips, accidentally leaking out to avoid a little embarrassment. If it had been any less frequent, if they had been even slightly less vigilant, they might have missed him completely.

Aside from his ignorance, the kitten himself seemed odd. It wasn't strictly impossible for a cat his age to be out on his own, but it _was_ unusual. He had an emaciated look about him, which was strange given his surroundings. That dumpster of his had to be full of scraps, and even stage magicians are able to get past a tight lid. His fur was dirty and stuck up in odd places, and he barely seemed aware of it, even while grooming himself. The sad, tired look in his eyes when he was alone was out of place on one so young.

The urge to slip into his mind and learn what exactly he'd been through was tempting, though out of question. Even a mystic under such… unique circumstances could detect another presence going through his head. Tantomile had to bite back her misgivings for the sake of remaining unseen, however hard it may be.

* * *

It was days before the twins even learned the kitten's name, and at that point it was small tomatoes.

One hot, lazy afternoon, when not a single cat happened upon the alley and its makeshift magic show, the pair of Jellicles were lounging on the fire escape. The scene below wasn't all that strange, with the little magician curled up in the shade by his dumpster. There was a stillness that usually couldn't be achieved in the city, and by all appearances it was settling in to be an uneventful day of rest.

And then, quite suddenly, the alley was filled with a great racket. Tantomile nearly leapt out of her fur. The familiar sounds of toppling cans and satisfied yowling broke the air. Usually this great entrance was accompanied by a chorus or excited squeals and giggles, but even without a gaggle of queens following his every step, the Rum Tum Tugger was unmistakable.

"No magic tricks today?" He questioned the little performing cat, his voice carrying the same mischievous lilt that it always did when he was trying to get a rise out of someone. "I was so looking forward to another show, Mis-tof-fe-lees."

The newly named kitten eyed him with surprising distaste. No wonder the contrary cat had taken such an interest in him; he couldn't stay away from a challenge.

"So _you're_ back again," He said with a nearly audible eye roll. "You can leave. There's no reason to perform in this heat."

Tugger just plopped down right there, smirking at— at _Mistoffelees_, who grumbled a little but otherwise made no effort to move away or get the larger cat to go. Tantomile tensed and looked at her brother, who seemed to feel equally apprehensive; if Tugger spotted them, he wasn't the type to let things lie. He enjoyed trouble far too much to bother with being discrete. But no, he never even glanced up the whole time he was there, too focused on pulling a reaction out of _Mistoffelees_ to fully take in his surroundings. When he wanted to, he could share the single-minded focus of a mouse after cheese.

Eventually, probably after deciding the little kitten might get too comfortable with his presence, he sauntered off, leaving the alley with a jaunty wave of his tail. The black tom seemed to curl into himself when the Maine Coon was out of sight, and slowly slunk under the dumpster.

The twins kept up their surveillance for the remainder of the week, but nothing of interest really happened after they saw Tugger and learned the kitten's not-name. (They called it that, for it _wasn't_ his name, and it stood out as clearly to them as a cat among dogs.) Both of the mystics knew that they didn't need to be around for much longer, and Tantomile was even beginning to miss the chaotic order of the junkyard. She was aching for the familiar presence of the tribe. As long as she still had her brother, she thought she could last it out, but homesickness effects the best of us.

There wasn't a need for them to stay and watch the young tom full time; it wasn't as though he was in danger or dangerous himself. Without so much as a word between them, the twins decided it was best for them to return home. It would be easy to find their way back to the alley to check up on the other mystic, to ensure that he wasn't in any trouble. Perhaps they could find a way to attract more rats to the alley? It never seemed like he got enough to eat, he was so slim.

When they returned home, the other Jellicles greeted them politely and went along with their business with only a few curious looks. The tribe never questioned the twins too closely on what they did, but they'd never disappeared for such a long time before. Aside from a brief questioning from the ever-protective Munkustrap, who wanted to know if they'd given some sort of foreboding prophecy while they were away, they were mostly left alone.

As Tantomile settled in to the comfort of the sibling's shared den, Coricopat already snoring beside her, her worries melted away. The kit would be fine without them for a few days.

* * *

_Something was different tonight, decided M__istoffelees. There was strange emptiness in the back of his head, the absence of… well, something. He thought._

_He wasn't able to explain it, but his loneliness had decreased to just a small ache over the past week. At first, he'd thought that his strategy to forget was working. The cats who trickled into the alley occasionally, searching for a quick bite, would stay for his performance, and he would have a temporary reprieve to help him escape his thoughts, at least for a little while. He'd thought that he was finally getting used to this new life._

_Now, he wasn't so sure. The shouts of the human chefs in their kitchen weren't enough to drown out the quiet of the alley, or the gloom falling around his shoulders._

_Mistoffelees switched his whiskers, trying to banish those thoughts. He'd been living there for a long enough time to forget this kind of nonsense, hadn't he? It had been a long time since he'd lost his mother now, wasn't it time for him to let go? He hadn't been this torn up when he __found out about his father's death. Granted, it had happened before he was born according to his mother, but he didn't see why it should make such a difference; shouldn't parents be equal? Shouldn't it be the same for both of them?_

_Miserably, he started towards the dumpster. Without knowing why, he paused. He looked directly up, and there was nothing there. The moon winked at him, and he stared at it beyond the rooftops for a long while before settling in for sleep. There was nothing there._

* * *

**Alright, chapter two is done!** **If it seems like the twins are heartless for leaving Misto on his own, you just need to remember that unearthly powers don't make you infallible. They are beginning to care about him in their own way, but since they haven't read his mind they have no way of knowing about his pre-teenaged angst. Reviews are much appreciated, thank you!**


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